Welcome to the "Samiit" association, services for foster families in the Jerusalem area and the south.

For foster families in the Jerusalem area and the south.

We are happy that you are considering the possibility of joining the foster families and the emergency nursery. There are thousands of children in danger in the country, some of them in a state of immediate danger, which requires immediate intervention to save them. Apart from that, there are thousands of children, who do not receive the proper care in the family framework they are in. In cooperation with you, we can save them and provide them with a warm and nurturing home, a safe and protected home, to put a smile on their face and advance a better future for them.

What is a foster family?

The foster family provides a warm home and provides a temporary return to the children in distress, who were removed from the custody of the biological parents by agreement or by order of the court.

The foster family contributes to the physical, sensory and educational development of the children. The custody process comes to an end when the child reaches the age of 18, or in the following cases: transferring the child to another place outside the family home, returning the child to his biological family or transferring him to adoption.

It is important to know!

The "Samiit" association provides foster families with constant counseling and support in all stages of the foster care process. This service is provided to foster families only in the Jerusalem area and the south under the supervision and participation of the Ministry of Welfare in coordination with the social services departments in the local authorities. With the aim of reaching the optimal activity, the "Samiit" Institute places at the disposal of the foster families a basket of privileges and comprehensive professional support.

Foster families deserve financial reimbursement by the Ministry of Welfare and all families are identified as volunteer families

  • Qualification of new foster families in preparation for their new job, on a personal and collective level through courses (selection, classification and qualification) and personal meetings.
  • Intensive professional assistance by a nursery specialist during the adoption of the children, in cases of separation and crises, and at every stage of the child's stay within the framework of the foster family, where the specialist accompanies the family professionally and emotionally.
  • Providing counseling and formulating a treatment plan by nursery specialists and social workers.
  • Application of a treatment plan individually by a psychiatrist, supportive medical treatment, guidance and assistance in education.
  • Support groups and group meetings to support daily treatment for parents and caregivers.
  • Groups to treat adolescent boys in foster families.
  • The communication between the foster families and the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, in order to obtain financial reimbursement for expenses for children with special needs.
  • Entertainment days and supplements for the foster families and the children, as part of belonging to the group of foster families at the "Samiit" Institute.
  • The foster families of the Samit Institute.

The required conditions to apply for the foster families and the emergency nursery:

  • The elderly generation should not exceed 55 years.
  • A medical certificate proving the safety and health of the parents
  • A certificate proving the absence of any criminal record by the police
  •  A decent place for the boy inside the house
  • Fixed income and economic stability
  • Healthy personal relationships between family members
  • Written and verbal recommendations from community groups that know the family.
  • Accepting and identifying the function of the foster family: providing the possibility for a natural development for the child in all areas of life, and for him to have a home that complements his biological home.

Form for leaving details

With you we can provide and give the children at risk a warm and comfortable home, a safe and protected place, and a smile on their faces will lead them to a better future.

Nursery registration form

Questions and Answers

Important questions to ask.

Other questions?

Please fill in the details and we will get back to you as soon as possible

A child is separated from his or her parents' custody only after efforts have been made to assist the parents and maintain the child's presence within the family. Priority is given to exploring the possibility of placing the child with a close relative, such as grandparents, uncles, or older siblings, before considering placing the child with an unrelated family.

Foster families who are relatives undergo the same screening and training as other foster families. These individuals are committed and dedicated to providing a stable and secure home for a child from their own family, often transforming their lives to do so.

Within the family, foster care helps the child maintain a sense of belonging and often allows them to remain in a familiar environment.

The Summit Institute offers specialized and comprehensive support for these families, including customized courses and group activities, according to their unique needs.

In 2006, the foster care law was enacted thanks to the efforts of Karin Elharer (Yesh Atid movement). As a result of this legislation, many relative foster families are now able to receive the same services and assistance as other foster families.

The Summit Institute supports close foster families by providing professional guidance throughout the process and assisting the children with their fundamental needs.
The term emergency foster care refers to a temporary arrangement for infants and children who have been urgently removed from their homes due to immediate danger. For up to 3 months, these families provide children with all the necessities they need after being removed from their homes, including physical and educational support, as well as a safe and nurturing environment. In addition, emergency foster families facilitate meetings between children and their biological parents at designated contact centres.
During emergency foster care, welfare service care planning committees determine the children's future arrangements, including whether they will live with a long-term foster family, move to another out-of-home placement, or return home.
The Summit Institute supports close foster families by providing professional guidance throughout the process, accompanying the children, and assisting them with their fundamental needs.
The therapeutic foster care system is designed to support children and adolescents with challenging backgrounds who have faced traumas, primarily due to their biological parents' inability to provide essential emotional and physical care for their normal development. 
Therapeutic foster care focuses on helping children exhibiting extreme and diverse behaviours, often requiring ongoing psychiatric supervision and emotional or medicinal treatment.   
In order to accommodate these children, therapeutic foster families must possess emotional resilience and family strength.
Therapeutic foster families receive extensive support throughout the process, including emotional support for the child as well as financial aid to alleviate the burden on the foster family.
When a child enters foster care, it is a transformative event that necessitates a high degree of readiness from the foster family. In the case of foster care for children with special needs, additional considerations come into play.

The CMAD foster care system addresses three types of limitations:

1. Masha - Mental-developmental limitations

2.     Autism

3.     Physical limitations

A family choosing to become a foster family for children with special needs receives comprehensive support from the moment they make the decision and throughout the process. This support encompasses psychological, financial, and enhanced medical assistance. 

We deeply admire and appreciate the families who choose to provide foster care for children with special needs.
It is natural for biological parents to be involved in their children's lives.
In most cases, they continue to be the children's legal guardians 
guardians and retain many parental rights. Foster care is essentially a cooperative parenting effort between the child's biological parents and the welfare services.
The involvement of biological parents is crucial for the development of children in foster care, and we always encourage fostering a positive relationship between foster and biological parents whenever possible.
In accordance with the child's and biological parent's needs, meetings with the children are scheduled weekly, biweekly, or monthly. These meetings take place at supervised contact centers or, in cases where supervision is not required,
at pre-arranged locations like the parents' home or a public park. Contact may be limited to phone calls in some instances, depending on the case.
For a child's mental health, it is vital to foster a strong relationship between the biological and foster parents.
All decisions made by welfare services, foster parents, and biological parents should prioritize the child's best interests and foster a healthy connection with their parents.

Foster care for children at risk

Treatment and rehabilitation for the mentally injured

Parent center for teenagers

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